Our History

A 1997 magazine cover from Northern California Sun displaying the first net-metered solar electric installation at a Noe Valley home in San Francisco.

San Francisco's Occidental Power was established in 1989 by Founder and General Manager, Greg Kennedy. Our corporate headquarters is located near Ocean Beach, a place where many pelicans fly overhead with their sillouettes cast by the sun. This is how we derived the name Occidental Power because the Latin name for pelican is pelecanus occidentalis—not to mention Greg Kennedy also attended Occidental College. It was meant to be.

Front cover of the Business section in San Fransisco Examiner. News about the first net-metered solar pv installation in San Francisco was picked up by the Associated Press and appeared in newspapers across the country.

We are the oldest and most experienced San Francisco solar power company. We design and install solar electric and solar thermal systems for Bay Area commercial buildings and homes, and have been recognized for installing the first permitted solar electric systems in San Francisco for both residential and commercial properties in 1996 and 1997 respectively.

History of Good Business Practices

Since the very beginning, we pledge our commitment to good business practices including both environmental and social responsibility. Our business philosophy has always been to provide high quality solar energy systems and employ local talent in the process. We support sustainability in hiring crews from both the San Francisco Urban league and The California Conservation Corps. In addition, we participate in the Bayview-Hunters Point alternative energy programs as well as the Environmental Degree programs of the California state universities.

Notable Projects

Some of our earlier projects were often considered cutting-edge for its time. We were designing and installing renewable energy systems when "renewable energy systems" wasn't even a common phrase in mainstream America as it now is today. Our pioneering projects included:

• San Francisco's first net-metered commercial system installed at Rosebud Agency in 2000
• Rainbow Grocery becomes an early adopter by having a solar electric system installed on their vaulted roof in 2001.They later followed up by getting a solar thermal system installation.
• Commissioned to provide quality control for the 675 kilowatt project for San Francisco's Moscone Center in 2003
• Installation of the largest solar thermal system on the University of San Francisco

We also managed the quality control on a 675 kw solar project for Moscone Center. Visit the San Francisco Solar Map for current businesses going solar. The Solar Map also features case studies of our innovative solar installations, including: a milestone project, St. Francis Square [PDF] (installed 1982), JumpSlide Networks [PDF] (installed 2004), and Yoga Garden [PDF] (installed 2002).

Occidental Power Now

Our general office at 5983 Mission Street

These days we've expanded! We're still at our primary office near Ocean Beach. But we also have a general office on 5983 Mission Street just near the county line.

We continue to save our customer's money all over the San Francisco Bay Area. Our services include:

• Independent, emergency back-up, and grid-connected photovoltaic systems (solar energy)
  
• Domestic solar hot thermal heating
• Pool and spa solar thermal heating
• Solar space heating
• Solar heat recovery systems for boilers and furnaces
• Natural gas-powered electric and hot water (also known as cogeneration)

Combined, our staff has decades of experience working with alternative energy systems in the San Francisco Bay Area, you won't find that anywhere else. Besides our expert experience, we also provide you with outstanding support:

• Energy cost analysis
• Site evaluations, engineering & permits
• System design, installation & repairs
• CA Rebate program paperwork & insurance claims
• Furnishing of service and maintenance agreements

We also have a friendly staff! Meet our team »